Athens Police Investigating Homicide at Elmwood Apartments

Athens Police Investigating Homicide at Elmwood Apartments

ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) — Athens Police say 32-year-old Sharon Wellington was apparently murdered in her apartment sometime Friday evening. It happened at Elmwood Apartments on Elm Street in Athens, just off Highway 31.The Wellington’s body was discovered by friends who had not heard from her in the last couple of days.

Police Chief Floyd Johnson says very few details could be released so early in their investigation. He declined to describe the crime scene Friday night or speculate on the cause of death. Floyd did say the victim’s body was transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an autopsy. He also declined to speculate on a possible motive for the killing at this time.

Several investigators, police officers, Coroner Mike West and District Attorney Brian Jones spent several hours working the crime scene and looking for possible evidence, while other officers canvassed the apartment complex looking for anyone who may have seen or heard something unusual.

One neighbor, Greg Graham, told WHNT News 19 he heard a disturbance earlier in the evening. He says he thought it was a different neighbor and called her so make certain she was okay. Graham says the woman told him she, too, had also heard the noise and had thought it was him. Neither one of them associated the disturbance with the victim’s apartment. Graham was shocked to look outside his apartment later and see police. He told his story to investigators.

The victim, who has lived in Alabama for approximately 2-3 years, was very active in a local church, and word of her death spread rapidly through her church family, many of whom gathered outside of her apartment to pray and console each other. Several cried openly while others spent the time speculating on what may have happened, and why.

Athens Police are asking for anyone who may have been in the area Friday or have any other information even remotely connected to this case to please get in touch with them as soon as possible